Despite Foreign Office advice that the popular tourist areas of Egypt are calm, Britain is to send a charter plane to Cairo to bring back citizens who want to leave because of the increasing number of protests in the area.

Foreign Minister William Hague said: “We have been advising people in Cairo or Alexandria or Suez to leave if they can if they don’t have any pressing reason to remain.

“The vast majority of those wishing to do so have been able to do so on commercial flights. But I’ve also decided to send a charter aircraft to enable further British nationals to leave the country if they wish to do so.

“That will set off for Egypt tomorrow and I will send further flights if necessary just to make sure that people are able to leave if they wish to do so.”

Seats on the flight will cost approximately £300, which is equivalent to a standard commercial single fare.